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VH-USY, the first DC-2 to fly in Australia, ushers in a new era of commercial aviation as she heads down Port Phillip Bay en route to Tasmania in 1936
In Australian Service – Douglas DC-2
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Part Eleven in a Series Examining the Airliners That Established Civil Aviation in Australia
This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of one of the most important maiden flights in the history of commercial aviation. On 1 July 1933, Carl Cover and Fred Herman piloted the one and only Douglas DC-1 on its rather eventful first flight from Clover Field, Santa Monica. Disaster almost struck when on each occasion the DC-1 attempted to climb, both engines suffered a major power loss. Despite this handicap, the crew were able to retrieve the situation and the DC-1 landed safely. The problem was traced to the layout of the carburettor floats and was easily remedied.
The background to the development of the DC-1 and the fabulously successful family of airliners which were to follow, was typical of the innovation shown in the aviation industry. The growing disenchantment of US airlines over the cost of maintenance and operations of wooden airliners had prompted an approach to aircraft manufacturers to produce all-metal transport aircraft. The first significant design to emerge was the trend-setting Boeing 247, a 10-seat airliner. However, a large order for 60 Boeing 247s placed by United Air Lines was to delay deliveries to other prospective customers for too long a period. Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) were interested in Boeing but were not prepared to wait until any aircraft ordered by them would eventually be delivered after a rather lengthy delay.
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